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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156262">I Don’t Understand (Why You Care So Much)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSilverSpy/pseuds/SuperSilverSpy'>SuperSilverSpy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dick "Whumptober" Grayson [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Dick Grayson Has Issues, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson is a good bro, Dick Grayson-centric, Dicktober, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Older Sibling Dick Grayson, Hurt Dick Grayson, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Prompt Fill, SilverGrayson, SuperSilverSpy, Whumptober, clingy character, clingy dick grayson, i tried for fluff, it didn’t work, jason Todd is a good bro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:23:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156262</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSilverSpy/pseuds/SuperSilverSpy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m serious Nightwing, this has gone on far too long. I can’t stand you bothering me like this all the f***’in time! It’s getting old, you need to pack up and take your sh** somewhere else!”</p>
<p>The man hovered, reaching out as if to check Jason’s temperature. He slapped it away. “I mean it.”</p>
<p>Jason looked murderous, and Dick backed up nervously, “B—but Jay—”</p>
<p>OR things happen, The Golden Boy has trauma, becomes clingy, and things get complicated<br/>Bat style</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson &amp; Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dick "Whumptober" Grayson [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>242</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Don’t Understand (Why You Care So Much)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/RkB/gifts">RkB</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Infinite thanks to my asterous Beta Teeelsie<br/>This one’s not my best, but I tried<br/>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Prompt:</p>
<p>“May I suggest another prompt?</p>
<p>One where Dick is being really clingy with Jason due to deep rooted abandonment issues (from his parents dying to Bruce not formally adopting him... etc).</p>
<p>Jason gets angry with Dick and says some mean/cruel things.</p>
<p>Jason eventually sees the hurt he causes due to a exceptionally whumpy Dick. Maybe Tim helps Jason understand because Tim is a genius. I also love when Jason’s soft side comes out :)”</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jason didn’t understand. He was fine, and he had been fine for weeks. Dick had saved his a**; it wasn’t the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Sure, he’d been hurt pretty badly, but that was no excuse for the Golden Boy’s ridiculous behavior as of late. It was barely acceptable after his injury, and it’s certainly not now, so much time after the incident occurred. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It started small. as things always do. The Big Bird texted him, constantly. Asking about his day, how he was doing, telling him random things that the Red Hood simply does not need to know. At first, he’d replied to a few of the questions, wondering idly how Dick got his number, and uncomfortably unsure of how to deal with this...<em>caring</em>. It wouldn’t last, he’d figured, and boy was he wrong. After a while, he simply read the messages without replying, then progressed to ignoring them entirely. This prompted several drop-ins from the Golden Boy. He’d show up, look Jason over like he was fragile, fuss around, ask after him, and demand to know why his texts hadn’t been answered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He told Dick to f*** off, or planned to, but then a certain smell wafted over… said annoying brother had made food, so Hood decided to let it go. The man always made food, or bought expensive meals with his own money, which was part of why he continued to let it happen. The black and blue bird also bandaged Jason’s wounds, kept him company throughout patrols, had his back at every corner, and everything was great. It was great, except for it happened far too often, it was great, except for Dick followed him <em>everywhere</em> and panicked when he so much as went out of sight. Then there were the touches, the holding. Shoulder clasps, bumps, friendly patting and hugging for no apparent reason. Not to mention the fact that Goldie always overstayed his welcome, sleeping on the couch, the floor, various positions all over Jason’s safe house, or rather <em>safe houses, </em>which he always seemed to find no matter where Jason went</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was damaging the Red Hood’s reputation, having a clingy black and blue vigilante <em>bouncing</em> around, mother hen-ing him and overall just being really obnoxious. He told the Boy Wonder to leave again and again. Yelling, snapping, even cursing at the man, but no matter what he did, his newfound leech wasn’t leaving. It got to the point where cleaning up and buying Jason food just wasn’t enough. Dick needed to go. Puppy eyes and pleas could only do so much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One day while on patrol, Hood turned to his brother.  “Hey Goldie,” he said, watching as the man perked up, bounding over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmm? You doing okay? Anything you need?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, I need you to f*** off, as I’ve been telling you to for the past week.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Big Bird flinched, looking hurt, but Jason wasn’t having it, not this time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s the matter, Little Wing? You feeling alright?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Logically, Jason knew there was something wrong with Dick. That something had happened and he simply hadn’t been told about it. He’d tried asking, and the man had just stared at him <em>what do you mean, Jay? I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m perfectly fine</em>. Then he’d gone back to whatever the h*** it was that he’d been doing, leaving Jason to feel stupid that he’d asked. Even though he knew the problem was still there, that Dick just wasn’t telling him, Hood couldn’t get past the anger and utter <em>irritation</em> that filled him, shielded him, rallied against the current threat just as it always had, the familiar feeling settling over him like invincible armour, deadly to anyone else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No d***,” he spat the man’s name as a curse, “I’m not <em>alright</em>, because of you. Now get the h*** away from me before I do something I’ll regret, and stay away!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dick didn’t. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m serious Nightwing, this has gone on far too long. I can’t stand you bothering me like this all the f***’in time! It’s getting old, you need to pack up and take your sh** somewhere else!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man hovered, reaching out as if to check Jason’s temperature. He slapped it away. “I mean it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason looked murderous, and Dick backed up nervously, “B—but Jay—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t ‘but Jay’ me, you’ve been an absolute nuisance for far too long, and it’s wearing me out! Can’t you just leave me alone for one second?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Flames licked, green and purple,. Hood was on a roll and there was no stopping him. Dick still wouldn’t leave, the son of a b****, and before he knew it, he’d lashed out and Goldie was staggering, hands coming up to cradle a bruised face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m fine on my own! I don’t need you, I can do everything fine by myself! What’s with the sudden change of heart anyway, huh? You were never there before! We barely even know each other, and we’re hardly family, let alone brothers.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dick’s jaw clenched, and he looked away, “Fine.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The word was spoken softly, tense and filled with meaning, an air of finality to it, and then the man was gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Jason’s anger stayed for a while, then left, leaving him tired and drained. When he got back to his safe house, the reminders of Dick were everywhere: the couch the man had slept on, chairs he’d perched atop of, the kitchen he’d cooked in. Every little detail, every little thing had a memory, even his own bed. Dick had woken him up there countless times, jumping on top of it and nearly getting himself murdered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were clear and physical reminders too: leftovers in the kitchen, bloody rags in the bathroom. Big Bird had left behind everything he’d brought. Clothes, weapons, movies, games, toiletries, and anything he’d bought for Jason since he first forced himself in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hood did his best to forget, to move on, throwing out or hiding everything that could possibly have any remnant of Dick on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even so, his own words still echoed in his head days later, though eventually he pushed them down, convinced himself that he was in the right, that Dick was being a dumba** and needed to figure out his own crap . Jason would never admit in a million years that he missed the man’s presence, that it was kind of lonely without him. So he continued on, trying to get his schedule back on track, to block Dick’s voice from his mind, because occasionally, he’d hear it in his head. Things that Goldie usually said or probably would say.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason ignored it all, focusing on everything besides the empty feeling that now plagued him, that he refused to acknowledge even existed. He grew angry at Dick for that, for how pathetic he was, missing the man he’d driven away. Even as a part of him hoped that Big Bird would come back, that he’d feel what it’s like to be cared for again, which was silly anyway, it would never last. Jason reminded himself again and again of how horrible it had been, how the clinginess was exhausting and ridiculous, how Dick had worn him out. The good memories were shoved away, wistfulness disposed of, and he was back to nearly just the same as before.<br/><br/></p>
<p>It worked for a while, the getting over it, but then one day Tim contacted him through comms while on patrol,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey Hood? Have you seen Nightwing anywhere recently? He’s not exactly missing, but the last I heard from him, he sounded pretty upset, and I’m a little worried.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anyway, he asked me to check in on you, something about a fall?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m fine, and I don’t know where d***head is, neither do I care.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did something happen? You guys seemed fine before.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He was being a clingy a**, I finally kicked him out.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When did it start?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When I fell, now f*** off!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on a minute, it may not be what you think. Now is a bad time of year for Dick, you falling probably made it worse.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s that supposed to mean? My injury hardly has anything to do with this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hood, what do you remember from the night you got hurt?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uhhh, not much. Had to dodge a bullet or so, fell off a building. Next thing I knew Dickie was standing over me, he hauled my sorry a** outa there.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pain, flashes, black and blue in the darkness. Startled yells and shouts of alarm. Bullets, Wing-Dings, escrima and fists on flesh. Bouncing and jostling, arms wrapped securely around him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on…” He heard the familiar spattering of clicks as Tim typed. “Got it, what you didn’t see, what you missed.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His phone dinged, and Hood pulled it out. A video clip, time stamp showing it to start just before he fell off the roof. He hit play and was startled to find that Dick was <em>there</em>, right there. The camera captured the man’s face perfectly, horrified and deeply distraught as Hood fell. Big Bird lunged toward his falling figure, had managed to collide with it even, but in the end was unable to stop his fall. Jason watched Dick freeze, expression going from incredible guilt and fear, to protective and  angry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Remember how Dick’s parents died?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, got it Replacement. Thanks for the life lesson,” he bit out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s also the anniversary of the time he found out you were de—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason hung up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dick jumped, nearly falling off the building he was perched on. “Tell you what, Jay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t play that with me, you know what I mean. Why didn’t you tell me you were there when I fell?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean? You knew I was there, I barely managed to get you out in time.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, but I didn’t know how close you were, how you saw me fall.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man stiffened, turning away, “It’s nothing Little Wing. It doesn’t matter anyway, and I thought you wanted me to leave you alone.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason winced,. “I didn’t mean it like that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And you still haven’t answered my question.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dick mumbled something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What was that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You fell Jay, you <em>fell</em>. Just like them— I couldn’t let you die, not again. Bruce really does love you, and neither of us could bear your death a second time.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hood laughed, he couldn’t help it. It took awhile for him to realize that the Golden Boy was serious.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He did try with you, you know. We both grieved, even though I wasn’t told about your death until I’d already missed the funeral, until you were long dead.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jason processed this, feeling that old anger returning, but his time it wasn’t directed towards Dick. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As if he could read his mind, Goldie said, “Don’t— don’t get mad at B, he tries his best, and he’s sorry. I’ve forgiven him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Like that was enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure, but tell me, why the clinginess? Even after I healed, you knew I could handle myself, and you— you enjoyed my company anyway, stayed with me far longer than you would have, and what about the rest of your abnormal behavior…?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dick looked uncomfortable. “Well I was just going to check in on you, to reassure myself that you were okay and then back off, but then...then I came over and you didn’t immediately kick me out. I wanted to try and fix this relationship, I know…I know I haven’t always been the best brother to you Jason, but I really did miss you and I will never give up hope that whatever has or will come between us can be resolved if we just try.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Dick...I— I’m sorry,” Jason said, thinking over the man’s words, feeling guilt and a million other things that he wasn’t gonna deal with right now, “I didn’t really mean what I said.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first Boy Wonder turned to face him, sagging gratefully into his inviting arms. “I know,” the man whispered into his shoulder, cerulean orbs filled with sincerity and what Jason knew to be misplaced guilt. He just wrapped his arms tentatively around his brother, rubbing circles in his back and hoping Dick could feel it through the Kevlar.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Let’s give this— this family thing a try, shall we?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From that point on, Goldie stopped being quite so clingy, and Jason tolerated him far more than he normally would.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I tried to do the prompt justice<br/>Fluff was also attempted<br/>Let me know how it went<br/>I don’t care how long it’s been since this was posted<br/>Comment pleeeaaase<br/>Also, thanks for all the kudos on my last fic<br/>It got way more attention than many of my others<br/>But that’s, fine<br/>I really do appreciate it<br/>Also,<br/>I’ve been thinking<br/>And doing some research<br/>It turns out the the Batfam members are like ridiculously OP<br/>In the comics<br/>And I guess I always knew that,<br/>That’s why we always write them being whumped, vulnerable, insecure, etc.<br/>But still,<br/>And then I realized that the only time we actually write them as BAMF as they really are,<br/>Is in crossover fics<br/>I’ve always wanted to do one of those JL Meets Batfam fics where they still think that Batman works alone<br/>Or an Avengers Meets Dick fic<br/>Because sometimes cxs can be amazing<br/>Tell me what you think about it<br/>And have a nice day!</p>
<p>Stay whelmed,<br/>-Silver</p></blockquote></div></div>
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